(PartiallyPolitics.com) – Nearly a month after orchestrating the removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy from his role as Speaker of the House, Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has levied serious accusations against McCarthy. Speaking to journalists this past Wednesday, following the election of Rep. Mike Johnson from Louisiana as the new Speaker, Gaetz claimed that had it not been for McCarthy’s subterfuge, the Speaker’s position would have been filled much earlier.
Gaetz argued that McCarthy deliberately undermined the Speaker candidacies of Representatives Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Tom Emmer of Minnesota. “It became clear to Scalise, Jordan, and Emmer that McCarthy was the actual roadblock to their aspirations,” stated Gaetz.
Interestingly, former President Donald Trump also weighed in, asserting that he was responsible for thwarting Emmer’s candidacy. Despite this, McCarthy had endorsed Jordan as a “steadfast ally,” even through three rounds of voting on the House floor.
Gaetz further alleged that McCarthy’s manipulative tactics came to light during a confidential GOP conference meeting earlier in the week. In that meeting, newcomer Rep. Mark Molinaro of New York sought to gauge support for Johnson’s candidacy among fellow Republicans. According to Gaetz, McCarthy opposed this move. “At that juncture, McCarthy was still scheming on how to thwart Johnson, just as he had done with Scalise, Jordan, and Emmer,” Gaetz observed.
Gaetz concluded by contrasting the newly elected Speaker, Johnson, with McCarthy. Unlike McCarthy, who he claimed was indebted to lobbyists and special interest groups, Gaetz said, “Mike Johnson is beholden only to the Constitution and a higher power.”
The story exposes the fraught and complex dynamics within the Republican Party, as power shifts and loyalties are tested. At the center of this tumult is Gaetz, who maintains that McCarthy’s influence has waned due to his own surreptitious behavior, which he says has now been laid bare.
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